Sunday, October 21, 2012

So a certain little girl had her birthday party this weekend. Yay, 6!!

Happy Birthday, my sweet!

My friend Kimberly took the most amazing photos of our little gathering at the park. I think everybody had a good time.

We've been working on Ng's room for a few weeks now and it finally looks like a bedroom. Just a few more boards to screw into place and we can start moving stuff in.

We ripped all the paper off the walls, taped and textured, sanded and painted the window sill (hot pink!), pulled up the carpet, added kraft paper flooring (AWESOME!) and now Mark is finishing up the built in bunk bed. Or loft. Or hellacool hangout area with a bunk on top... whatever you want to call it!

So trim is next... I think. And hot pink railings. Of course...

We found the chair by a dumpster and let it air out for about a week. It fits under there perfectly and is so comfy. Everybody needs a reading chair, right? Don't worry, it will be placed better once we get things all sorted. And don't worry- there were no rusty needles in the cushions or gross mystery stains. The chair is in remarkable shape. No pet hair or cigarette smoke. It was destiny! I'll just throw something hot pink on it and all will be well.

Mark also found a fully functioning Dyson by a dumpster a few days later. It works perfectly- but I can't say it smells great. Lots of dog hair. But a DYSON! For free! And it works? I don't think anything hot pink will fix the odor, unless baking soda comes in cool colors now.

Ah, fiber... I've been getting into colorwork kits (notice how I don't say I'm actually knitting colorwork yet...) so I made a few for the shop. I have some new colorways coming out soon and some preordered kits drying right now. Anywho, this is the first grouping. I got all crazy and spun them up in like 2 days.

The yellow ended up being a little thinner, so it might not make the cut. It's a floofy Finn sport weight even though the WPI (14) is on the fingering side of things. This combo is called PS... A Walk in the Woods and was a colorway created with my friend Shayla of Alina Shea Creations. She has a few skeins left of the matching yarn so go pick some up! I've been going back and forth with the pattern I want to use. Maybe Chevron Love Mittens?

I've also washed and whacked these two skeins. I spun them first, of course, but I only just washed them yesterday...

They are both mixed Corriedale from Southern Cross Fibre. Nply, to keep the colors from getting muddy. I think socks?? I always think socks though!

Remember that handspun I was talking about last time? Well, I'm actually knitting it up into a baby sweater/top/weird-Scandinavian-thing. It is adorbs. Yep, I just said that. And yep, I'm really knitting it. In fact, I'm almost finished with it. I just keep leaving it in the car so I haven't been able to sit with it longer than 10 minutes or so. My evening Supernatural-watching is with the wheel lately but that will change after tonight... it is the last episode available on Netflix and I don't want to start a new braid until- oh crap. I have another 2 oz of BFL- ok. Scratch all of that.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

The latte is pumpkin something-or-other. The muffin is cinnamon. The socks are Retro Rib using Knit Picks Stroll in Hearth Multi (discontinued, but lovely still!)

I'm planning on some ambitious spinning and knitting for the next few months. I'm glad the weather is starting to cooperate. I LOVE being cold. I love layers. I love flannel (which I have very little of right now. I need to fix that.) I love jeans and wooly socks. I love mitts and scarves and brisk breezes.

This time of year we take a little trip up the mountain and check out the aspen trees. This year, the fire got most of our favorite groves- and I'm avoiding the effects of the fire so I can't even bear to go see what is left. Mark shows me photos, thinking he is reassuring me- but my heart just drops. It hurts to think about it even.

So... I'll leave you with a pretty pic, taken 2 years ago.

And some yarn I made then too. I pulled it out last night and it is next in line to become something awesome.

It is Spunky Eclectic BFL- an old club colorway called Rolling Hills. I managed 310 yards of 2 ply. It was spindle spun and one of the first yarns I ever made. There is something so comforting in that- and it will help, I think.